"The first victory we can claim is that our hearts are free of hatred. Hence we say to those who persecute us and who try to dominate us: ‘You are my brother. I do not hate you, but you are not going to dominate me by fear. I do not wish to impose my truth, nor do I wish you to impose yours on me. We are going to seek the truth together’. THIS IS THE LIBERATION WHICH WE ARE PROCLAIMING."
Oswaldo José Payá Sardiñas (2002)

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Castro regime dialogues with the United States but rejects dialogue with dissidents

Pope Francis arrived in Havana, Cuba this afternoon and was received by Raul Castro in a military ceremony at the airport. The speech by His Holiness touched on a number of key elements from Cuban history while praising the normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba:

For some months now, we have witnessed an event which fills us with
hope: the process of normalizing relations between two peoples following
years of estrangement. It is a sign of the victory of the culture of
encounter and dialogue, “the system of universal growth” over “the
forever-dead system of groups and dynasties” (José Martí, loc. cit.). I
urge political leaders to persevere on this path and to develop all its
potentialities as a proof of the high service which they are called to
carry out on behalf of the peace and well-being of their peoples, of all
America, and as an example of reconciliation for the entire world. I place these days under the protection of our Lady of Charity of El
Cobre, Blessed Olallo Valdés and Blessed José López Pieteira, and
Venerable Félix Varela, the great promoter of love between Cubans and
all peoples, so that our bonds of peace, solidarity and mutual respect
may ever increase.

During the day the news of mass arrests of democratic opposition activists begin to appear in the social media. Former Amnesty International prisoner of conscience Librado Linares was detained and handcuffed following a provocation by a National Revolutionary Police (PNR) official impeding his attendance at the Papal Mass in Havana. Cuban dissident, Antonio Rodiles, reported this morning that more than 20 Ladies in White had been arrested.

Meanwhile
Cubans in the island (Jorge Luis García Pérez "Antúnez") and in the diaspora (Ramon Saul Sanchez) continued to engage in a hunger
strike and a fast respectively to call for independent Cuban civil
society to be included in the new political context and the voice of the
Cuban people to be heard.

Later this evening over social media it was reported that various dissident leaders were invited to meet with Pope Francis in a low profile gathering at the Apostolic Nunciature but were arrested as they left their homes to meet with the Pontiff. Independent journalist Ivan Hernandez Carrillo reported that Angel Moya and Berta Soler, were invited by Apostolic Nuncio in Havana to meet the Pope, leaving home they were arrested. Marta Beatriz Roque was also detained and returned to her home to prevent her meeting with His Holiness.

Yenisleydis
Millo and her husband, activist Carlos Olivera, were arrested in Colón,
Matanzas at 11:09pm. At 12 minutes to midnight Berta Soler over twitter reported that
Rapid Response Brigades besieged the Ladies in White headquarters in
Lawton.

These actions by the Castro regime are a rejection"of the culture of
encounter and dialogue" praised by Pope Francis during his speech at the welcome ceremony organized by the dictatorship. The international community needs to keep a close eye on events
in Cuba that goes beyond the scripted performance of the Castro regime. People of faith need to keep Pope Francis and the people of Cuba in their prayers.